Volvo penta dp-sm splitting outdrive questions

[Fedds]

There is a plate above the prop on my volvo dp sm drive that was cracked and missing a piece. It appears to be part of the Planing surface of the drive as well as part of the exhaust.

Anyways, looks like I have to split the upper and lower sections to get one bolt out of that plate. Question 1. Can I drop the lower of the drive and reinstall it easy enough willout pulling the whole drive from the bellhousing?

Question 2, any seals I need to buy before I attempt this? I assume there is a water pickup tube in there, and some seal or oring for the outdrive lube?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Easiest to pull whole drive, however you can weld in place if you want

you do pull the drive every year for maintenance, correct?

you will need a seal kit

 

[Fedds]

Easiest to pull whole drive, however you can weld in place if you want

you do pull the drive every year for maintenance, correct?

you will need a seal kit

New to me boat...haven't pulled the drive yet. Been boating a long time and always had a mercruiser, so this volvo setup is new to me.

Where can I find the part numbers for the seal kit?

 

[Scott Danforth]

New to me boat...haven't pulled the drive yet. Been boating a long time and always had a mercruiser, so this volvo setup is new to me.

Where can I find the part numbers for the seal kit?

Go to the parts links on iboats and it takes you to www.volvopentastore.com which is the north America parts distribution run by iboats

 

[Fedds]

Any tricks to pulling the Two halves apart? 4 nuts are loose, 2 large bolts in the back from the bottom, and one screw from the top are all out. Is it common for these two halves to corrode together? There is nothing in the prop area I need to do, right?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Any tricks to pulling the Two halves apart? 4 nuts are loose, 2 large bolts in the back from the bottom, and one screw from the top are all out. Is it common for these two halves to corrode together? There is nothing in the prop area I need to do, right?

if you have not pulled it apart for a while, then yes, you could be corroded.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Any tricks to pulling the Two halves apart? 4 nuts are loose, 2 large bolts in the back from the bottom, and one screw from the top are all out. Is it common for these two halves to corrode together? There is nothing in the prop area I need to do, right?

if you have not pulled it apart for a while, then yes, you could be corroded.

 

[Fedds]

if you have not pulled it apart for a while, then yes, you could be corroded.

Must be. No good place to pry or tap either. I got a small screw driver in the most aft area and I can get it spread to see daylight and worked forward towards the bow, but near those studs it will not budge. It seems to me the nuts on those 4 studs were tightened and displaced aluminum to where the hole is smaller and the threads are grabbing. There were no washers under the nuts. I see way, the studs are too short, but seems like a poor design.

I hate to just put it back together, but that I'd what I did. I will run it with a good portion of that aft exhaust / Planing plate missing till the end of the season. I just felt like I was going to break something.

Is this something heat will help, or too many seals around there to damage?

 

[Scott Danforth]

dont use a screw driver. that will muff up the paint and the aluminum.

you most likely have corrosion in the holes where the studs are

make sure the nuts are off, and all the fasteners are out.

I would get a few plastic window/door frame shims. and wedge between the lower and upper, then take a 5# deadblow hammer and tap on the case and it will pop out.

 

[Lou C]

I came up with a way to split my Cobra which is very similar & it will work for the Cobra, Volvo or Merc. You need a stand for the outdrive a piece of all thread about as long as the trim Ram rod that goest thru the drive and 2 approx 1/2” diameter bolts & nuts to retain the bolts in the mounting holes at the front end of the drive. Then get 3 scissors jacks from Advance Auto or wherever. Put one under the bolts in the front & one each on each side under the rod that goes thru the trim ram rod holes. Then slowly jack each jack up & it will pop loose without breaking anything...because those are pretty strong parts of the drive and you apply the pressure slowly and evenly. Here's a pic....does it make sense to you? I've done mine this way twice and it is very easy. Thought of it one day when prying with wedges did not work. Had to walk away from it and let my brain work on that problem...lol....
This is a salt water used drive and I think it was calcium deposits on the o ring that are on the bearing carrier...

 

[Fedds]

Ahhh, yep, that makes sense. Thanks for both ideas!